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Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

After years of patience and a willingness to wait out injury upon injury with their franchise star, the Houston Rockets are engaged in trade discussions about center Yao Ming with several teams, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The lure of acquiring Yao for potential suitors is the $8 million in savings that insurance will provide for his $17.7 million expiring contract this season. Some teams are considering re-signing Yao on a short-term deal with hopes of restoring him to playing health, while others see his contract as a cost-saving measure.

Once one of the dominant players in the NBA, Yao, 30, will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left ankle. There are serious questions about his ability to return to the NBA on a full-time basis.

The Rockets are dangling Yao to acquire a good young player with an upside, if not an established talent. Despite offering Yao in trades, the Rockets haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing him to a short-term contract extension.

If Yao has surgery to repair the stress fracture, it would keep him out 10 months. After missing just two regular season games in his first three NBA seasons, Yao has missed at least 25 games in five of the past six seasons. He’s played just five games the past two seasons. From a broken leg to stress fractures in his feet, Yao’s lower extremities have struggled to support his 7-foot-6 frame.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

im not intrested...he gets hurt every year and is getting older and older

You're missing the point. Teams aren't goint to trade for him with the intentions of him being a significant piece of the roster. It would be for the $8 million insurance claim that is going to be available for his contract.

1. We get rid of these old vets that seem to be eating up minutes, and leaving us yet under .500. I dont know about you all, but if we are gonna go just under par again this year, and then have to settle for a pick in the 10-13 range again I am gonna scream. I would rather lose the extra 15-30 games, and get our young guys some playing time with each other, and get a good lotto pick.

2. We get younger, and more experience. This gives us two young guys who would fit nicely in this system, and look to be solid nba guys.

3. Yao is a great prospect. Worste case scenario, he retires, or signs somewhere else. Best case, he sticks around, gets healthy, and provides a great 2 towers tandum with Roy, or puts up decent numbers as our 6th man, and 4th quarter spark off the bench. Similar to Parish, Mutombo, Moses, The Dream, and Shaq as they got older. Maybe not 20 a night double-double guy, but putting in around 11 and 9, and filling in on injuries nicely.

4. International Exposure- Playing or not, Yao will bring our already mediocre Chinese following into full effect. We have all seen the turn out when the Rockets come to town, well imagine if he does pan out, and how the place will be packed at every home game.

5. We can sign Magnum for the rest of the season.

I would much rather see this for the rest of the season, even if it meant
losing a few more games, this would at least be interesting to watch, and worth the drive.

1. We get rid of these old vets that seem to be eating up minutes, and leaving us yet under .500. I dont know about you all, but if we are gonna go just under par again this year, and then have to settle for a pick in the 10-13 range again I am gonna scream. I would rather lose the extra 15-30 games, and get our young guys some playing time with each other, and get a good lotto pick.

2. We get younger, and more experience. This gives us two young guys who would fit nicely in this system, and look to be solid nba guys.

3. Yao is a great prospect. Worste case scenario, he retires, or signs somewhere else. Best case, he sticks around, gets healthy, and provides a great 2 towers tandum with Roy, or puts up decent numbers as our 6th man, and 4th quarter spark off the bench. Similar to Parish, Mutombo, Moses, The Dream, and Shaq as they got older. Maybe not 20 a night double-double guy, but putting in around 11 and 9, and filling in on injuries nicely.

4. International Exposure- Playing or not, Yao will bring our already mediocre Chinese following into full effect. We have all seen the turn out when the Rockets come to town, well imagine if he does pan out, and how the place will be packed at every home game.

5. We can sign Magnum for the rest of the season.

I would much rather see this for the rest of the season, even if it meant
losing a few more games, this would at least be interesting to watch, and worth the drive.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

because he is from china yes. When the rockets come to town a lot of asian people come out to the games.

Not to mention Jersey sales and other merchandising that is in return impacted. Revenue from over seas broadcasting, advertising and endorsements and the domestic attention it would bring as well. I really like this trade, and think that we could definitely be in the mix, if anything we get guys that are leaving anyways out of here, posey and jones a year earlier.

"Did we learn anything?"-Jonathan Ames

"No, but thats okay, It's a good thing to stay in the dark about things - it keeps life more interesting."- George Christopher

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

Not to mention Jersey sales and other merchandising that is in return impacted. Revenue from over seas broadcasting, advertising and endorsements and the domestic attention it would bring as well. I really like this trade, and think that we could definitely be in the mix, if anything we get guys that are leaving anyways out of here, posey and jones a year earlier.

The promblem is this trade is so unrealistic. The pacers make out like bandits on his trade.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

The promblem is this trade is so unrealistic. The pacers make out like bandits on his trade.

How so? The pacers are trading for a guy that may never play a NBA game again. The rockets are getting all the expirings to get the players they want for him instead of trading for smothers team picked through roster.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

Well, if you take away Posey and Jeffries so Rockets don't take on bad money, I think it's a fair deal from basketball point of view. Rockets get decent picks for Budinger and Patterson, and some backups who can contribute right away. I don't know if this makes us better, we lose a lot of depth this year, and losing the picks hurts long term. Budinger and Patterson are ok if we find good minutes to develop them, but we already have projects at those positions in Paul and Tyler. A lot here depends on Yao getting healthy. If he retires after the season, I don't see a point in this deal.

All that said, I have hard time seeing Rockets trade Yao for anyone without star potential. Iguodala for instance. Not that Yao is worth much at this point to other teams, but he's still worth much to Rockets for sentimental and marketing reasons.

Also, imagine Yao recovers next year a little bit. Are we sure he's fine playing behind Hibbert? And will China really love us in this case, or hate us? Remember, they didn't even want to let him enter the draft without a superstar treatment, like a guarantee of Yao being the no.1 pick.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

i don't think yao will ever play any meaningful minutes again. in the last 5 of his 8 seasons, he has had 4 of those where he appeared in less than 60 games. i don't see him able to ever break that mark again. i don't think we have anyone they would want that we would be willing to part with in this deal so i think this is beyond unlikely.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

i don't think yao will ever play any meaningful minutes again. in the last 5 of his 8 seasons, he has had 4 of those where he appeared in less than 60 games. i don't see him able to ever break that mark again. i don't think we have anyone they would want that we would be willing to part with in this deal so i think this is beyond unlikely.

It isnt about playing him mins. It is about getting his expiring contracts and cutting costs.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

How so? The pacers are trading for a guy that may never play a NBA game again. The rockets are getting all the expirings to get the players they want for him instead of trading for smothers team picked through roster.

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

How old was Ilgauskas when he had several lost seasons due to injury? I remember people thinking he was done, but the Cavs put him on ice for a while and he finally came back and had a decent career. Maybe some team can do that in this case. Even if it took 3 more years for him to sit out, rehab, and get healthy he would be 33. Then the team could run him into the ground for a productive 3 or 4 years...no?

Looks like it was around '98-'01, which he would've been in his early to mid-20's.

Last edited by DocHolliday; 12-28-2010 at 09:13 AM.
Reason: last line of info

Re: Yao's expiring contract on the trade block

Also, imagine Yao recovers next year a little bit. Are we sure he's fine playing behind Hibbert? And will China really love us in this case, or hate us? Remember, they didn't even want to let him enter the draft without a superstar treatment, like a guarantee of Yao being the no.1 pick.